Yaphet Kotto

Biography

Yaphet Frederick Kotto (November 16, 1939 – March 15, 2021) was an American actor known for numerous film roles, as well as starring in the NBC television series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993-99) as Lieutenant Al Giardello. His films include the science-fiction and horror film Alien (1979), and the Arnold Schwarzenegger science-fiction and action film The Running Man (1987). He portrayed the main villain Dr. Kananga/Mr. Big in the James Bond movie Live and Let Die (1973). He appeared opposite Robert De Niro in the comedy thriller Midnight Run (1988) as FBI Agent Alonzo Mosley.

Known For

Kananga/Mr. Big

Live and Let Die

William Laughlin

The Running Man

Carl

The Thomas Crown Affair

Richard 'Dickie' Coombes

Brubaker

Little George

5 Card Stud

Al Giardello

Homicide: The Movie

Doc

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

Blue

Truck Turner

Lt. William Pope

Across 110th Street

President Idi Amin - Jr.

Raid on Entebbe

Ressler

The Puppet Masters

Alonzo Mosely, Special Agent, F.B.I.

Midnight Run

Bone

Bone

Detective Harry Lowes

The Star Chamber

Major Connolly

Warning Sign

J.B. Deveraux

Eye of the Tiger

Col. Styles

Terminal Entry

Richard 'Crunch' Blackstone

Report to the Commissioner

Sam 'Smokey' James

Blue Collar

Ricardo Bodi

Witless Protection

Self

BaadAsssss Cinema

FBI Agent O'Malley

Two If by Sea

Eubanks

The Park Is Mine

Lee Pitt

Tripwire

Daddy Foxx

The Monkey Hustle

Colt Hawkins

Friday Foster

Jocko

Nothing But a Man

Blase

Drum

Sonny Boy Mosby

The Liberation of L.B. Jones

Ivanhoe Washington

Fighting Back

Larson

Extreme Justice

Nate Hodges

Man and Boy

Mr. Whiteside

Ministry of Vengeance

Lt. Tyrell

In Self Defense

Judge Williams

The Defenders: Payback

Captain Rick Sands

Stiletto Dance

Perry Beach

Chrome Soldiers

Harris

Pretty Kill

Detective Cliff Fenton NYPD

Badge of the Assassin

Lt. Tom Riley

It's Nothing Personal

Quincy

Out-of-Sync

Jules Tallard

A Whisper to a Scream

Police Lieutenant

Hangfire

Captain Jackson

Intent to Kill

Self

Bond 1973: The Lost Documentary

Richard "Crunch" Blackstone

Crunch

Bede

Desperado

Doctor Tyrone Fillmore

The Jigsaw Murders

Mr. Big / Dr. Kananga (archive footage) (uncredited)

Best Ever Bond

William McElroy

After the Shock

Mark Johnson

The Limit

Parker

Alien

Ernie Green

Night Chase

Agha Kislar

Harem

Gilmore Brown

Prime Target

Ben Flynn

Sharks' Treasure

Fire Chief Walker

Playing with Fire

Sgt. Therman Patterson

Women of San Quentin

Detective Martin Talbot

The Corpse Had a Familiar Face

Marty Talbot

Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan

Self

King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen

Othello

Othello

The American Clock

Sgt. China Bell

For Love and Honor

(archive footage)

The Beast Within: Making Alien

Ernie

Rage!

Captain Hunt

Dead Badge

General Sorenson

Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel

Terry

Almost Blue

Inside 'Live and Let Die'

The World of James Bond

Denmark Vessey

A House Divided: Denmark Vessey's Rebellion

Self (archive footage)

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy

Carter

The Ride

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

74

Gender

Male

Birthday

1939-11-16

Place of Birth

New York City, New York, U.S.A

Also Known As

Yaphet Frederick Kotto